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(N Model.) NH. POWER.

GRIPPER.

No. 307,410. Patented oet. 28,1884.

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NICHOLAS II. POVER, OF NElV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL OOIIN, OF SAME PLACE.

G R P P E R.

L'PECEFECATIQN :forming part of Letters Patent No.307,e10, dated October 28, 1884:.

Application filed September 24, i884. (Xo model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, NIoHoLAs H. Iownn, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grippers or Gripper-Staffs, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a 1o part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of devices variously designated as gr-ippeis, gripstaffs7 \\'indowtongs,7 &c., and which are adapted for seizing and lifting or removing obi`5 jects from high shelves, deep shop-windows,

and other places or points not easily accessible, and in like manner placing them at such points. It has for its object a more efficient, simple, and cheaply-constructed appliance vfor 2o the purpose than those heretofore in use; and it consists in the Combination, with the outer 'end of a rod led longitudinally through a tubular stafl", of a movable jaw or finger actuated by the rod to slide to and from a stationary jaw or finger secured to the staff, so that the two may be thereby closed together to grasp between them any interposed object.

The ligure in the accompanying drawing consists of an elevation, partly in section, of

3o the two ends ol" my improved gripper.

A represents a long, slender, tubular staff, which may consist, for example. of a bamboo rod. This staff may be in one piece from end to end, or may consist of two or more joints screwed together or otherwise united end to end. The inner end of the staff is provided with a suitable handle, B, and a slide, G, is iitted within a longitudinal slot, XV, in said handle, to move back and forth therein. This 4o slide may be in the shape of a ring, as illustrated, or of any other convenient form. A head or errule, D, is secured upon the outer end of the staff, and from the outer end of this head an arm or finger, E, is made to project at about a right angle with the length of the staff, as illustrated in the drawing. An aperture, 'which is preferably made hexagonal or otherwise angular in section, is pierced longitudinally through the head D, and a movable bar, F, carrying upon its outer end an 5o arm or finger, E, corresponding to the stationary finger E and proj ectingl from the arm at about a right angle to its length, is tted to play in said aperture. The linger E may be constructed integrally with the bar F or separatelytherefrom, to be attached thereto by a pin or screw, as illustrated in the drawing. The angular section ofthe bar F serves to prevent it from turning in the aperture through which it plays, and the movable nnger E is 6o .thereby kept in line parallel with the stationary finger E, so as to close against the same when the two are brought together, the ends of the fingers being made to strike each other so as to firmly bite and clamp between them any intervening object. A rod, G, is led through the hollow staff A and screwed into a socket in the inner end of the fingerbar F, and the outer end of this rod is made fast to the slide C in the handle B. The rod is so proportioned 7o in length as that when the slide C is drawn nearly to the outer end of the slot inthe handle the bar F will be drawn inward far enough to bring its finger E into contact with the stationary finger E, and by pushing the slide O 7 5 outward the finger E will be thereby carried out away from the finger E to a corresponding extent.` This opening and closing o1. the finger E may thus be produced positively in either direction by a simple movement ofthe 8o slide O independently of any spring, but I contemplate causing the finger to open automatically by inserting a spring, II, between the slide C and the outer end of the slot XV, to

be compressed by the movement of' the slide in 85 that direction. \Vhere it is preferred that the finger shall close instead of opening automatically, the spring may be inserted between the slide and the inner end of the handle.

It is obvious that, as an equivalent device, 9o the rod Gr may be made to work in a longitudinal groove eut in a solid staff, instead of in a perforation through the length of the staff, and that the slide C may be made to work in ways upon the outside of the handle, instead of in a slot cut therein, and I contemplate such modifications as a part of my invention.

My improved gri pper-rod is adapted not only for placing or removing objects in show-windoWs7 on shelves, &c., but also for catching crabs and certain iishes,picking up objects in deep Water7 and other similar purposes.

I claim as my inventionl. A gripper constructed of a fixed jaw or nger secured rigidly to the outer end ol" a long staff, in combination with a movable jaw or finger adapted to close against the stationary finger, and which is secured to the end of a rod reciprocating longitudinally in or upon the staff, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. Th combination, With a long staff and with a transverse offset or lringer projecting from its outer end, of a rod adapted to slide longitudinally in or upon the staff, an offset or finger projecting from the outer end of the at the inner end of the rod, playing Within or along the inner end or handle of the staff, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, in a gripper, of a rod reciprocating longitui'linally through or upon a long staff', a linger upon the outer end of the staff, a counterpart parallel nger upon the end of the rod adapted to close against the first, and a spring interposed between the rod and staff, substantially iu the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NICHOLAS H. POWER.

Witnessesz P. ELBERT Nos'rRAND, SAMUEL CoHN. 

